***Official*** England in Pakistan

[Shoaib]

This should be Pakistan's test side if they wanna enter the field with the intention of winning the game(which they should).
Taufiq Umar
Shahid Afridi
Younis Khan/Hasan Raza
Inzamam-Ul-Haq
Mohammad Yousuf ( Youhana has recently changed his name after accepting Islam)
Asim Kamal
Kamran Akmal
Abdul Razzaq/Rana Naveed
Shoaib Akhtar
Umar Gul
Danish Kaneria

 

[twctopcat]

Mohammad Yousuf ( Youhana has recently changed his name after accepting Islam)

Is this true?? I thought he was a devout christian.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Is this true?? I thought he was a devout christian.

Yep.

 

[tooextracool]

Hoggard
Anderson

is there really a point in having 2 swing bowlers, in conditions that in all likelyhood wont help swing bowling?

 

[The Baconator]

Anyone see the Sky team selecting their squad for the Pakistan tour?

The 12 that played in the Ashes + Gareth Batty, Matt Prior, James Anderson and Alex Loudon

 

[Barney Rubble]

Anyone see the Sky team selecting their squad for the Pakistan tour?

The 12 that played in the Ashes + Gareth Batty, Matt Prior, James Anderson and Alex Loudon

So where's the spare batsman? Or is Loudon it?

I think we can safely say it won't be those four. I'm backing the Ashes 12 (sounds like a crime syndicate or a hip-hop collective), plus Prior, Panesar, Anderson and Joyce.

 

[The Baconator]

So where's the spare batsman? Or is Loudon it?

I think we can safely say it won't be those four. I'm backing the Ashes 12 (sounds like a crime syndicate or a hip-hop collective), plus Prior, Panesar, Anderson and Joyce.

They said Collingwood was the extra batsman and Prior was the "extra extra batsman"

 

[Barney Rubble]

They said Collingwood was the extra batsman and Prior was the "extra extra batsman"

So who's the extra wicketkeeper?

 

[twctopcat]

I'd go with Prior, Swann, Anderson and Joyce. Even if that does mean leaving out fat bob .

 

[Barney Rubble]

Even if that does mean leaving out fat bob .

Oh no. What will we do without him.

We could take him along as a food-tester.......didn't some England players get food poisoning on the Sub-continent a couple of tours ago?

 

[greg]

Key is the only option. They have to have cover for the top order with there being no way of rejigging the order among the existing batsmen. I'm sorry but Sky's suggestion that Collingwood could possibly be the only reserve batsman is ridiculous. It's all very well filling in as a 7th batsman and 5th bowler. A sixth batsman and 6th (and unnecessary) bowler - no way! Having a decent defensive technique and ability to put away rank bad balls (but little else) is hardly enough (especially when the 83 over days will put rate of run scoring at a premium)

 

[Barney Rubble]

Key is the only option. They have to have cover for the top order with there being no way of rejigging the order among the existing batsmen. I'm sorry but Sky's suggestion that Collingwood could possibly be the only reserve batsman is ridiculous. It's all very well filling in as a 7th batsman and 5th bowler. A sixth batsman and 6th (and unnecessary) bowler - no way! Having a decent defensive technique and ability to put away rank bad balls (but little else) is hardly enough (especially when the 83 over days will put rate of run scoring at a premium)

I don't see the problem with rejigging the order to be honest. If Joyce was included at Key's expense (which would help combat Kaneria and Mushy if he plays - left-hander), then he could come in for whoever got injured, and if it was one of the openers, Vaughan could easily move back up. It's not like we don't have another opener in the team.

Here's a scenario, though - Vaughan gets injured and misses one Test. Who bats 3? Joyce? Bell? Pietersen?

Personally, I'd break with tradition and give Geraint Jones a go there. He strikes me as the kind of batsman who could benefit from a move up the order - why not try it out?

 

[chalky]

I don't see the problem with rejigging the order to be honest. If Joyce was included at Key's expense (which would help combat Kaneria and Mushy if he plays - left-hander), then he could come in for whoever got injured, and if it was one of the openers, Vaughan could easily move back up. It's not like we don't have another opener in the team.

Here's a scenario, though - Vaughan gets injured and misses one Test. Who bats 3? Joyce? Bell? Pietersen?

Personally, I'd break with tradition and give Geraint Jones a go there. He strikes me as the kind of batsman who could benefit from a move up the order - why not try it out?

Remember him opening in ODI's? Doesn't have a god enough technique against the new ball.

 

[Barney Rubble]

Remember him opening in ODI's? Doesn't have a god enough technique against the new ball.

I'm not sure that was the problem. I think it was his shot selection that was the problem then - he got caught in the deep a couple of times in SA, and once at point IIRC. He's faced the new ball enough at no7 to know how to deal with it - and anyway, one would hope Tresco and Strauss would safely negotiate the new ball more times than most. I think it's worth a go, that's all - not saying it would work.

 

[tooextracool]

So who's the extra wicketkeeper?

whos the wicketkeeper?

 

[twctopcat]

Exactly, i think it was Geraint trying to hit everything out of the ground in his new Gilchrist Role. He unfortunately emulated Gilchrist a little too well by getting a few boundaries then becoming too greedy and getting himself out.

 

[twctopcat]

whos the wicketkeeper?

 

[Neil Pickup]

If anyone outside this combination of seven is selected I will be very surprised.

Robert Key
James Anderson (Chris Tremlett)
Matthew Prior (Chris Read)
Gareth Batty (Graeme Swann)

If Alex Loudon is picked I'll quite possibly break something.

 

[Barney Rubble]

If Alex Loudon is picked I'll quite possibly break something.

If Alex Loudon is picked, I'll quite possibly break David Graveney.

I have a sneaking feeling about Monty Panesar, I think he might make it in. He might not take many on flat pitches, but he's shown at Wantage Road he can get bags of them on bunsens, and that's what he'll get this winter. Probably will never play a home Test, but if he's ever going to play international cricket, it'll probably be this winter.

 

[Neil Pickup]

Why Panesar of all people? He's second in line to Jason Brown at Northants and any spinner can get shedloads on a bunsen...